


Cursed

by Eileniessa



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [7]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Chronic Pain, Pre-transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26164234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eileniessa/pseuds/Eileniessa
Summary: Yennefer falls behind in her studies and Tissaia takes notice
Relationships: Tissaia de Vries & Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894447
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Cursed

**Author's Note:**

> Re-uploaded from ‘Bloody Entertainment’.
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the books by Andrzej Sapkowski, the game series by CD Projekt Red and the TV series by Netflix. I do not claim ownership to any of these characters and have written this fan fiction for entertainment, not financial gain.
> 
> Warnings: Spoilers for ‘The Witcher’ Netflix show, series 1, episode 2

When Yennefer entered the greenhouse late for the third morning in a row, she had expected a stern telling off. The Rectoress had already commented on her tardiness and had reminded Yennefer that her expectations were not to be tested. Yennefer was surprised, then, when the Rectoress did not turn towards her or halt her teaching when she walked in late. After she reached her lectern, the Rectoress caught her eye briefly and then looked away.

Yennefer brushed her thumb over a splinter in her lectern. She wondered why Tissaia had not said anything and felt her stomach churn. Maybe she was going to say something later, or perhaps the Rectoress had decided on another form of punishment after seeing that her reprimands had not had the desired effect. Either way, Yennefer wished that the Rectoress would do something now because the uncertainty was worse.

As the lesson went on, Yennefer shivered and gritted her teeth as the clenching of her stomach muscles made a burst of pain spread across her back. They were halfway through the winter season, but Aretuza was only getting colder, and her pain worse. She had never faired well in this season because the cold was unusually cruel to her. It seemed to seep into the cracks in her bones and make her muscles tighten.

She had missed breakfast this morning because of how long it had taken her to get out of bed and dress, and she had still been late to class. Sharp, hot pain had shot across her back on either side of her spine when she had made the slightest of movements, and when she had tried to stretch, tears had filled her eyes. Standing at the lectern, Yennefer’s legs felt weak and numb, and she leant her weight on her forearms as they pressed against the wood. Her lips were dry and bloody from all the times as had bitten them and her stomach grumbled.

Yennefer tried to concentrate on what the Rectoress was saying and followed the flow of her hands and the curve of her fingers as she demonstrated the spell that they would be learning, but the pain in her back kept pulling her thoughts away. Yennefer curled her fingers around the edge of the wood until her knuckles whitened and dropped her head. She felt dizzy.

When the sensation had passed, and she looked up. The Rectoress had stepped away from her lectern and was walking around the room. Pretending to look at the notes she had scrawled on a piece of parchment, Yennefer watched the other girls practise the spell. She tried to catch the words that they said and the movements that they made. After a while, Yennefer had seen enough to piece together what she was supposed to be doing and pulled her small plant pot towards her.

She practised the words of the enlargement spell a few times and then moved on to the gesture. The pain in her back intensified as she tried to take up the correct posture and raise herself up as much as she could. With her jaw clenched, Yennefer twisted her hands, fingers and arms as the spell demanded while beads of sweat formed on her brow and she clenched her stomach muscles.

From the other side of the room, Yennefer noticed the Rectoress watching her out of the corner of her eye while she corrected the curve of Sabrina’s fingers. The young sorceress tried to spell again, and her plant pot and the herbs growing inside doubled in size. The Rectoress inclined her head towards Sabrina and said something that Yennefer did not hear, and then caught her eye.

Yennefer swallowed and looked away. She focused her attention on her pot and started moving her hands. When she opened her mouth to speak the incantation, the words got stuck in her throat as heat spread across her back and down her legs. Throwing her head back, Yennefer tried again, and again, and again, but the pain kept suffocating her words. She looked up from her plant at Tissaia, but the Rectoress had already moved on. Yennefer let her shoulders slump forwards and her posture deflate. When the Rectoress dismissed them, hers was the only pot that had remained untouched.

Yennefer started to follow the other girls out of class when the Rectoress stopped her. “Come here, piglet,” she said.

Yennefer stepped up to where the Rectoress was waiting. She balled her skirt in her hands as she tried not to back away from her intense stare.

“Tell me, why have you not sought any help for your pain?” the Rectoress asked.

Yennefer’s mouth went dry and she swallowed. “I-I-“

“Speak up, girl.”

“Because I didn’t think you would help me,” she answered.

Realizing what she had said, Yennefer crossed her arms over her chest and dropped her eyes to the floor. Knowing how pitiful she sounded, Yennefer waited for the Rectoress to scold her and flinched when she felt her hands on her back.

The Rectoress squeezed her shoulder. “Relax, piglet,” she said in a gentle tone that Yennefer had not heard from her before.

Yennefer took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She heard the Rectoress speak an incantation that she did not recognize and felt heat spread down her back and across her legs. The magic kneaded her muscles and eased out the tension she held in her back and shoulders. Yennefer sighed. It felt wonderful. When the Rectoress drew back her hands the only thing that Yennefer felt in her back was an unusual but comforting heat, like the breath of summer.

The Rectoress stepped back and clasped her hands in front of her as though nothing had happened. “The next time that your spine starts to trouble you, I expect you to go to the medical ward and ask for help. Do not let this happen again, piglet, do you understand?”

“Yes, Rectoress.”

“Good, then you may go.”

Yennefer turned on her heels and was almost at the door when Tissaia stopped her again. “Wait.”

She looked over her shoulder at the Rectoress and noticed an apple floating in front of her.

“It is unwise to start your day on an empty stomach. Make sure you are at breakfast tomorrow.”

Yennefer nodded and took the apple. “Thank you.”

When she was back in her room, Yennefer dropped down on the edge of her bed and ran her fingers over the piece of fruit in her lap. She had forgotten a time, if there had ever been one, when her life had not been accompanied by the constant aching of her cursed spine. Yennefer stretched her arms above her head and sighed. This was something that she could get used to, and she wondered whether she had been too quick to judge the Rectoress. She had wanted to hate her for taking her away, for buying her, but now she wasn’t so sure.

Yennefer laid back in bed and took a bite of her apple. The juice made her lips tingle and when she had finished, Yennefer didn’t feel hungry anymore. She tossed the core on the floor and looked up at the ceiling as she tried to remember the unusual tenderness she had heard in the Rectoress’ voice.

**Author's Note:**

> Bad-Things-Happen-Bingo Prompt for Anonymous on Tumblr: Yennefer - Chronic pain, The Witcher Netflix.
> 
> If you have enjoyed this piece of work, please consider leaving a comment.


End file.
